It is well known that the dispensing of cleaning and personal care products by spraying or pumping can yield an aerosol or mist, which may potentially cause respiratory distress, sensitization or allergic response in humans, particularly when such products contain a potential allergen, such as a protein. There are two components which contribute to this respiratory distress. The first component is the actual aerosol produced at the site of product supply. When the product is delivered by a finely divided spray the particles are quickly scattered in the air. The second component is product bounce-off or rebound. Once the product is dispensed, the product may bounce off a target material. Target materials may be extremely diverse. For example, skin, a glass surface and a textile may all be target materials. To minimize the risk of respiratory distress or other undesirable biological responses, some products have been formulated to include or exclude various inorganic and organic compounds. Other products have further been formulated and dispensed to adjust particle size of the aerosol.
Choy et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,434 discloses a composition including a polyethylene oxide resin, a surfactant and a water-soluble salt. These ingredients are compressed into a solid cake. The disclosed compositions may comprise 5-20% polyethylene oxide resin, preferably 5-12% resin, with a molecular weight of about 500,000 to about 7,000,000. The resin reduces the tendency for aerosol formation during the flushing of a toilet. The water-soluble salt suppresses the solubility of the resin thereby also suppressing gelation of dissolved resin.
Russo et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,224, teach an aerosol antiperspirant composition including a volatile low-viscosity fluid and a silicone polymer. The silicone polymer is completely dissolved in the composition. The composition avoids dustiness and clogging of the aerosol valve, and upon spraying the composition, product bounce-off is reduced.
Lentsch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,551, teach reducing the misting of acid or alkaline hard surface cleaners, particularly alkaline oven cleaners, by increasing the mean particle size of the mist droplet dispensed through a spray head to greater than about 170 μm. The compositions include a strong acid or strong base, an organic surfactant, and an organic water soluble polymeric thickener. Various thickeners are disclosed including vinyl polymers. Preferred thickeners for alkaline compositions include xanthan thickeners and preferred thickeners for acid compositions include polyvinyl alcohol thickeners.
Choy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,689, teach a thickened cleaning composition for a hard surface which reduces the odor of bleach when the composition is sprayed. The spraying of the cleaning composition releases particles which result in the release of bleach odor. These compositions include an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hypochlorite and a thickening system which includes a hexadecyl dialkyl amine oxide and an organic counterion.
Grisso et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,842, disclose aqueous compositions containing a water-soluble synthetic polymer wherein the compositions impart aerosol control in combination with shear stability to a resulting composition when the composition is exposed to a shear rate of 99,000 to 1,000,000 s−1 and a shear stress of from 30,000 to 500,000 Pascal. The resulting compositions include agricultural spray compositions, ink compositions, deicing or anti-icing compositions, hydro-metallurgy or electro-winning compositions, cleaner compositions, adhesive compositions, fire extinguishing compositions, organosilane compositions, personal care compositions, latex or other water borne compositions, textile finish compositions water-based hydraulic compositions and dust control compositions. The water-soluble synthetic polymer is formed by the polymerization of an alkyl substituted acrylamide compound and a hydrophilic monomer.
The use of enzymes, especially of microbial origin, has become more and more common in several industries which include, for example, the detergent industry, the personal care industry and the pharmaceutical industry. A critical issue in the use of enzymes in many consumer and industrial applications arises from the fact that enzymes may be potential allergens.
Therefore, a number of strategies have been explored to reduce the immunogenic potential of enzymes and these include improved processes which reduce potential contact by controlling and minimizing workplace concentrations of dust particles or aerosol carrying airborne enzymes, improved granulation processes which reduce the amount of dust or aerosol actually produced from the enzyme product, improved recovery processes to reduce the level of potentially allergenic contaminants in the final product, and even efforts to reduce the allergenicity of the enzyme per se. All of these strategies have had limited success. Accordingly, a need still exists for enzymes to be formulated so as to minimize the risk of sensitization and allergic reaction on the part of individuals who are exposed to enzymes, and particularly in consumer products.
Moreover, since enzymes may be incorporated as an additive into personal care products and cleaning products and upon application of these products aerosols may be created, an accompanying need exists to provide improved formulations and application properties whereby potential aerosol production is reduced from these products.
It is an object of the present invention to provide anti-misting compositions which include a high molecular weight polymer which may be incorporated into personal care and cleaning products whereby the potential for aerosol production is reduced.
It is another object of the present invention to provide anti-misting enzyme compositions which when used in a desired environment or on a target material have a reduced tendency to form aerosol particles.
It is a further object of the present invention to reduce the allergenic potential of an enzyme used in personal care product formulations or in cleaning product formulations.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to reduce misting of shower gels in a shower environment or reduce the misting of laundry pre-spotters.